


The heart of a lioness

by paladinprincess (DylansLittlePrincess)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Cuban Lance, F/M, Families of Choice, Fluff, Human Allura, Korean Keith, Male-Female Friendship, Mulan AU, Multi, Secret Identity, Slow Burn, Strong Female Characters, Suicide Attempt, Trans Girl Pidge, platonic klance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-04-04 10:21:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14018157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DylansLittlePrincess/pseuds/paladinprincess
Summary: After the untimely death of her parents, Allura is left as the orphaned heir to her country. When she discovers that her parents were likely victims of murder, she makes the choice to leave everything behind to try to and bring the killer to justice.However, the only leads she has is an all-boys military school in the middle of nowhere, Arizona. And her new roommates don't make blending in any easier.It turns out family can be found in the places you least expect it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I love the two paladin girls so much and they're unappreicated so here's a fic starring my daughter allura and featuring my other daughter pidge.
> 
> im not american and i've never been to arizona or military school (though i have boarding school experience) so don't expect much accuracy.

"Princess, are you sure about this?"

 

“For the millionth time, I am. Please do it."

 

Coran sighed but complied, taking a strand of Allura's white hair and daintily snipping at it, as if he expected her to change her mind and ask him to stop. After seeing she wasn't going to cry out, he started to cut her hair at a faster pace. Allura winced slightly as she watched large chunks of her precious hair -the hair she had been growing out her whole life- fall out and to the ground at an alarming pace. Soon there was nothing left of her once long locks apart from a small pile of curls on her head.

 

"What do you think?" Coran asked, his voice nervous.

 

"Well," Allura hesitated, not wanting to complain about the awful style when she had been the one to pester him into giving her a haircut. "I certainly look like a boy."

 

"Princess, are you really really sure about this?"

 

“Yes, I am." Allura couldn't hide the sharp edge to her voice. "Can you pass me the hair dye? I can do this part myself."

 

Coran complied, handing her the hair dye without another word. Allura silently fumed as she walked to the bathroom and sat in front of the sink. She grabbed a towel, wrapping it around her shoulders before putting on gloves and gently applying the dye to her hair. She knew Coran was aware of just how desperate she was to find the truth about her parents' deaths, yet he did nothing but criticize her plans for it.

 

Allura had assumed her parents' death in a car crash was a tragic accident until the day she was sorting through her father's things and stumbled across an unmailed letter from her dad to an unknown recipient, where he detailed about his fear that his life and the life of his family was in danger. A mere day after the date on the letter, he was dead. The only clue she had was the fact the letter address belonged to a military boarding school in America, the one her father had attended during his school days. The only problem was the fact it was an all boy's school and the last thing Allura wanted to do was draw attention to herself. So she went with what she decided was the best plan, to seek Coran's help forging documents which would give her a second identity so she could apply as a male student named Arthur Lingard. It had worked. She got accepted as scholarship exchange student from England. The only person who knew the truth was Coran, her father's childhood best friend, and her legal guardian.

 

Allura washed the dye off, feeling upset as it slowly revealed dark brown hair. She had felt pride when she first dyed her hair white at sixteen, signifying her becoming an adult. Now she would have to revert back to her natural hair color in order to enter the school. Coran would deal explaining to the public the disappearance of their young princess. As far as anyone knew, she was in a deep coma. Her task was to investigate the Garrison and find any clues that could point to her parents' murderer. Coran was highly upset at her decision to put herself in danger but he was respectful of her choice.

 

She slipped out of the dress she was wearing, taking off her bra and putting on a binder before she quickly donned the academy school uniform, plaid pants with a white button-down shirt. This time when she looked at the mirror, she could barely recognize herself in it. The unflattering haircut framed her face in such a way that turned her face from feminine to a pre pubescent male face. Her flat chest and clothes further heightened the illusion and helped her pass for a teenage boy. Sighing, she finally exited the bathroom.

 

"Coran, how do I look?"

 

Coran whipped his head back to stare at her, his eyes going wide as he took in her new appearance. "I guess you're really going through with this insanity."

 

"Yes I am," Allura had to struggle to remain polite. Even with his disapproval of her actions, Coran was still the only person she had left in the world. "Can you call me a cab? I'll have to leave soon to catch my flight."

 

"Of course," Coran sighed. He started to walk out of the room, stopping for a second to turn back to Allura. "If you come back to your senses, call me instantly. I'll be there to pick you up as fast as I can."

 

"Coran, I told you. I'm seeing this through to the end no matter what."

 

Coran massaged at his temples as if in pain. "If your parents were here they'd be furious I let their precious daughter dress like a man to go on a wild and potentially dangerous goose chase."

 

"Well, they aren't!" Allura snapped, feeling the rage kindle in her chest. She knew Coran was right but just the mention of her parents was enough to make her cry once again. "That's why I have to do this. I need to get closure."

 

"I hope you're doing the right thing princess."

 

 _So do I,_ Allura thought to herself. 

 

"Coran," Allura said, her voice quiet. "Do you really think I'm making a mistake? Do you think my parents would be upset to see me now?"

 

"Princess," This time Coran didn't hesitate for a second as he reached for Allura, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a warm bear hug. "Your parents would be so proud to know they raised a strong young woman who can make her own choices. I'm proud of you and I know they are. Now let's get you that cab."

 

Allura couldn't hold back the tears. She was still sniffling as the cab arrived and Coran helped her get her luggage into the back before giving her a kiss on the cheek as he waved goodbye. For a second, she was tempted to give up on her plan. To just stay back, miss her flight and go back home. But images of her parents flashed before her head and she knew she could never forgive herself if she didn't find the truth out about their deaths.

 

With one last glance back, Allura turned to the window as the cab drove onward, propelling her into a brave new world.


	2. Hana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to go with shorter chapters for now so I can update more frequently.

Allura felt nauseated as she walked through the crowds of people at the Arizona airport. All around her, people were shuffling around like worker ants as they spoke to each other. She walked uncertainly, keeping her eyes glued to the floor but looking up every few seconds to see if she could spot the person that was meant to pick her up and take her to the academy. She had gotten an email confirmation that they would be waiting for her at the airport by the time she arrived but she hadn't managed to locate anyone from the academy yet.

Her phone started to buzz in her newly deep pocket and she fished it out, answering with an uncertain, "Hello?"

"Arthur?"

"No, it's Al- I mean, yes, it's me Arthur. Who is this speaking?"

"Where are you right now? I'm here to pick you up on behalf of the school."

Allura glanced up and looked around, trying to find the nearest recognizable place. "I'm right in front of the Starbucks."

"Stay put. I'll be there soon."

With that, the man cut the phone. Allura stood awkwardly, glancing around to see if she could spot anyone who seemed to be from the school when finally, after what felt like forever, she saw a man wearing the school uniform wave his hand in the air as he approached her.

"Hello," he took her hand in his, squeezing it in a handshake so hard she was sure she broke a bone in her hand somewhere. "Call me Shiro. I'm a recent alumnus and I'll be your team mentor this year."

"Nice to meet you," Allura blushed. The man in front of her was handsome, she couldn't help but notice. Luckily, he didn't seem to notice her blush or if he did, he didn't care.

Shiro started walking after a vague in Allura's direction, causing the girl to panic as she picked up her suitcase and tried her best to follow him keep up with his long legs. The fact he didn't offer to carry her bags just made her situation feel more real. She really was standing here, in the middle of an airport in America and she really was going to be attending this military school as a boy. The idea should have frightened her more but she felt a twinge of excitement. She had been preparing for this for months. She was definitely going to go through with this and win.

The first thing that hit her when she got outside was the heat. She was used to warmth, she experienced it constantly back home in Altea, but the humid heat of Arizona made her feel sticky and uncomfortable. She and Shiro walked in silence for a few minutes before Shiro stopped in front of a small minivan.

"There we are," Shiro announced, his tone too optimistic for Allura's liking. "Hop in and make yourself comfortable. We've still got to pick up another teammate of yours."

"Just how many people are on my team?" Allura asked. She had seen something about teams on the website but hadn't bothered to investigate it further. She had had more important things to take care of.

"There were three guys originally but with you and the other new kid, it's up to five." Shiro answered, turning on the engine for the car as Allura slipped inside and shut the door behind her. "I hope there's enough space in your room."

"We share a room?" Allura squeaked. She definitely hadn't heard that part. In fact, the website had specified that each cadet gets their own room.

"It's a new thing this year for scholarship student teams." Shiro shrugged. "It's meant to strengthen team bonds."

"Right." Allura couldn't hide the doubt in her voice.

Shiro seemed to pick up on this as he quickly switched the subject. "Anyways, are you nervous about your first day?"

"Kind of."

"Don't be. I know the kids on your team and I couldn't name a better set of students. They can be a bit much at times but they're kind."

"Isn't kindness considered a weakness in a military school? It'd be a weakness in war after all."

"It depends on what you're fighting for."

With those last words, Shiro went quiet as he continued to drive. Allura busied herself with looking out the window and trying to spot anything that wasn't sand or the occasional cactus. She didn't have much luck. It was a breath of fresh air when Shiro eventually pulled up to a small, isolated home located in what appeared to be the middle of the desert.

"Wait here." commanded Shiro as he took off his seatbelt and got out of the car. He walked up to the front door, quickly knocking on it before walking in. He came out ten minutes later with another boy trailing behind him.

Allura did a small double take at the sight of the boy. Well, she assumed he was a boy. He was so pretty that she wouldn't be too surprised if he turned out to be a girl. He looked to be about her height with pale skin and distinctively East Asian features.

Shiro pulled open the back of the truck once he got to it, saying, "Arthur, this is Keith. Keith, this is Arthur. You two are going to be on the same team."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Allura gave her most charming smile in an attempt to make a good impression. To her surprise the boy didn't smile back in response, instead, he looked somewhat sullen.

"Hi." Keith's response was blunt. He didn't even look her in the eye. He got into the back of the minivan, slamming the door shut with a bang.

Shiro and Allura exchanged glances afterward; Allura's confused and Shiro somewhat apologetic.

"I'm sorry about that. Keith is kind of shy." Shiro smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head as he got back into the driver's seat.

"Aren't we all?" Allura gave the fake smile she had perfected as princess.

Shiro nodded in response before switching on the radio. Allura leaned back against her seat and closed her eyes, letting herself get lost in the catchy pop melody. Before she was aware of what was going on, she slowly drifted into a light nap.

* * *

 

A shoulder on her shoulder gently shook her from her nap.

"Father?" Allura spoke without thinking, groggy from the nap. Her vision soon adjusted to the sight in front of her and she was able to see Shiro standing in front of her clearly, an embarrassed expression on his face.

"It's just me, Shiro."

"Sorry," Allura said, leaning forward across her lap. She had had a dream about her parents. That hadn't happened recently. "I guess I was lost in thought."

"I understand." Shiro's smile was comforting. He laid a paternal hand on her shoulder, saying. "It must be hard to leave your family behind and come here on your own."

"More than you could imagine." Allura's smile was tragic.

"Right," Shiro responded, raising an eyebrow but thankfully not inquiring any further. Instead, he squeezed her shoulder gently. "Keith and I have to see the dean of admissions. Are you fine finding your room by yourself? Now's the best time as the other kids are doing training drills."

"That's fine," Allura tried to hide her smile of relief. An empty room would provide her the opportunity to store her feminine products without anyone did seeing them.

"Great. You're in that building over there. Your room is on the second floor." Shiro dug into his pocket, pulling out a key which he drops in Allura's palm. "You'll have to see the admissions director later but it's best if you get settled in and eat before you do. Keith and I should be there soon."

"Thank you, Shiro." Allura smiled at the older man. She hadn't talked to someone apart from Coran for so long since her parents passed away. It felt surreal but nice to be interacting with other people once more. She gave a small nod to Keith's direction, noticing how Keith had stood silently the entire meeting. "I'll see you later, Keith."

"See you," Keith mumbled lowly in response, his eyes not meeting Allura's. She couldn't tell if he was actually shy or just didn't like her. She wasn't that invested in figuring it out. As long as he didn't get in her way they wouldn't have any problems.

She got her luggage out of the back of the van and waved at Shiro and Keith once more as she set in the direction of the residential building.

To Shiro's credit, it was empty when she got inside. The building was decent, she thought, though she could spot a little mold in some floorboards and cobwebs by the walls. It needed a good cleaning but she supposed beggars couldn't be choosers. At least the layout was fairly modern.

It didn't take long for her to find the room Shiro had mentioned. She grasped at the door handle for a second, so hard it hurt, before taking a deep breath and swinging the door open and stepping in.

The first thing she noticed was how crowded and messy everything was. There was a bunk bed to the right of the room and a twin bed at the opposite corner and clothes, snack wrappers and what seemed to be random junk filled the distance. The second thing was a light creaking sound as the swivel chair in front of the mirror turned to reveal a boy sitting in it.

Allura's eyes went wide and her cheeks pink as she realized the boy was only wearing a bathroom robe, his hair appearing to be damp from a recent shower and some sort of white paste over his face. She spluttered an apology as she quickly slammed the door in her own face and moved in front of it, pressing her back against the door as she clutched at her chest. Great. It was only her first day and she had somehow managed to already make it awkward for herself.

She took a minute to collect herself, taking a deep breath. Before she had the opportunity to open the door, it was unexpectedly pushed open, sending her flying to the ground and landing on her butt faster than she could steady herself on her feet.

"Uh, sorry dude." Allura glanced up to see the boy stretch an arm out, scratching his head awkwardly. "Shiro told us you were coming but I forgot. I'm Lance."

"I'm Arthur," she graciously accepted the hand up, making sure to look anywhere but at the boy's semi-visible chest.

"Sorry for the clutter. The three of us tend to mess this place up pretty quickly," Lance let go of her hand once she had steadied herself on her feet, looking down at her hands for a second before he looked back at her face. He leaned across the doorframe, his arms folded across his chest as he seemingly studying her.

"It's fine." Allura suddenly put two and two together and realized there were only three beds but Lance mentioned three guys already living there. Plus she assumed Keith would be joining the room. Where were they meant to sleep? "Um, which bed is mine?"

"Oh," Lance went silent for a second before he gave her a smile that didn't seem all that sincere. "Hunk, Pidge and I already own the beds. Maybe Shiro can get you an extra mattress? Where is he?"

"He went with this other guy, Keith, to the dean's office. He said he'd be here soon."

"Keith is back?" Lance sounded surprised. He looked down at his feet, not really addressing Allura as he said. "Shit, I thought he was gone for good."

"He's already a student here?"

"He was. Until he got expelled. I guess he's back now."

Allura wanted to inquire more, ask Lance why exactly Keith had been expelled but from the look on his face, it was clear he was done talking about it. Instead, she grabbed her suitcase and followed Lance into the room. She reminded herself that her main concern was finding out anything that could be traced back to her family. The matters of other students should be no concern of hers.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some characters may seem ooc but it's for a reason~ don't forget to leave comments/ kudos. Also if you have any questions pls ask!!! I crave feedback lol


	3. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another chapter woohoo~ im updating this story more than my others. probably because shorter chapters and i keep being inspired by my love for these characters and desire to procrastinate on daily responsibilities.

The two other teammates stumbled in, covered in mud and sweaty, about an hour later.

 

“Lance, you asshole, I can’t believe you lied to get out of t-“ the shorter one abruptly cut off when he spotted Allura, who was sitting awkwardly on the one chair in the room. Lance had grudgingly offered it to her before he left the room when she had realized she had nowhere else to rest.

 

Allura smiled, waving at the two teammates. She had been hoping it was Shiro coming back when the door was opened and had to hide her disappointment with her regal smile. "Hi, I’m Arthur and I'm from Derbyshire, England. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

 

“Okay, so you’ll definitely be gone in two weeks tops but hi, I’m Pidge."

 

"Excuse me?" Allura's smile dropped off her face once she processed the words.

 

"I'm not trying to be rude or anything," Pidge shrugged, pushing his round glasses further up his small nose. "I'm just saying I’ve seen a lot of people like you come and go. Your type doesn’t do well here."

 

"What do you mean by my type?" Allura couldn't help but glare.

 

"Preppy, overly-friendly and condescending." Pidge glared back. "You aren't fooling anyone with that nice talk. You can't just transfer in the middle of the year expect us to be on your side. I need to win the team cup and you're going to get in my way."

 

"And who exactly are you to think you can get away with making such bold claims on our first-"

 

"Um. Hi, I'm Hunk." The boy next to Pidge gave an uncomfortable smile, cutting into Allura's mini-rant.

 

Allura coughed, putting a hand on her chest to calm herself down. It was a trick her father taught her as a kid. Diplomacy was his strongest suit and he wanted to make sure his daughter inherited it.

 

"I'm sorry," despite the anger still brimming inside her, Allura managed to make herself sound sincere. "I know I might not seem like the average person here but I'd like a chance to prove myself before you judge me."

 

"Whatever," Pidge eventually said, his voice sulky. "We have an obstacle course tomorrow. Prove yourself then."

 

With that Pidge dropped the muddy lacrosse stick he was holding and jumped into his bunk, pulling out a laptop from underneath his pillow and burrowing under the covers with it. Hunk mouthed a 'sorry' before crawling into the twin bed at the opposite end of the room. Allura winced at how the two didn't even bother taking off their dirty clothes. Was this what military school did to people? If it was then she would have to get out of here soon.

 

She glanced at the door before looking down at her watch. They had arrived on campus at five and now it was nearly seven and Shiro still hadn't arrived. She was jet-lagged and hungry and Shiro was the only kind person she had encountered in the school so far. Going off that, she decided she would find him herself and walked out the door.

 

-

 

Keith was this close to walking out the door.

 

He had known Iverson wouldn't exactly welcome him back with open arms, not after he fucked up as a leader on their first simulation and accidentally punched Iverson in the face. He just didn't think the old man had the strength to yell in his face for over an hour.

 

Keith turned to glance at the door behind him but a warning look from Shiro caused him to look back down at his feet. Even if he didn't want to be here, he was less than a year away from graduating and Shiro had gone through a lot to convince the board to let Keith back into the team. Keith couldn't afford to disappoint him again. 

 

A strong hand clamped over his shoulder and Keith looked up to see Shiro make eye contact and give a brief smile. Keith couldn't help the twitch of his own lips at that. Just then, a light knock comes from the door that finally got Iverson to stop yelling at him and to yell at whoever it was to come in.

 

The person pushed the door open and Keith finally saw that It was the new kid.Keith couldn't help staring at him. He had never seen someone who looked like that before. His face looked odd somehow, nearly feminine but the awful proto-bowl cut he spotted limited to girlish softness to his face. In addition to looking weird, he also acted weird. Quietly polite and awkward. Keith didn't like that about him.

 

"What do you want?" Iverson sounded much softer towards this boy than Keith had heard him ever be before.

 

"Sorry if I'm interrupting. I just wanted to know what my sleeping arrangements for tonight are."

 

“I can’t believe I forgot," Shiro mumbled, cutting into the conversation. He stood up, turning towards Arthur. "I prepared mattresses for you and Keith while we finalize your sleeping arrangements. I'll go grab them."

 

"I'll come with you," Keith announced, jumping to his feet.

 

"Don't you dare," Shiro gave him a Keith that got him to instantly sit back down like a kicked puppy. He sighed, turning to the intruder. “Arthur, follow me."

 

"Sure," the boy tried to meet Keith's eyes to give him an apologetic smile. Keith pointedly looked away.

 

Shiro walked out of the office with the kid falling after him after briefly hesitating. Keith sighed and settled back into the chair as Iverson started to rant again. It was going to be a long day.

 

-

 

The mattress Shiro handed her wasn't at all what she was expecting.

 

It was extremely thin, so were the sheets she guessed she was meant to cover herself with. She looked from the mattress to Shiro in confusion, convinced there was something missing with the makeshift bed. The so-called-mattress looked more like her duvet at home. Except her duvet was bright pink and not suspicious grey.

 

"Are you fine carrying yours and Keith's back to the room by yourself? I don't feel comfortable leaving him alone with the commander too long. The only reason that kid is here is due to all my begging." sighed Shiro, finally breaking the awkward silence.

 

"That's fine." Allura lied out of her tongue. The pile could barely fit in her arms but she wouldn't let Shiro know that. She would just have to find a way to get it back to the room without keeling over somehow.

 

"Thanks for understanding," Shiro's smile was as warm as ever as he held the door open for Allura to move out before he headed down the opposite side of the hallway, back to the office.

 

 _Now I just have to lug this around and find my room somehow._ Allura thought as she stared down dejectedly at the bedding she was carrying. It hadn't been a minute but her arms were already starting to cramp. That was when she felt someone's bump into her, making her drop the beddings in shock.

 

"I'm sorry," the voice that came out was smoother than she expected. She glanced up to meet a pair of blue eyes that belonged to a very tall, and very handsome, boy. "Let me help you with that."

 

"It's fine," Allura stammered, feeling her cheeks fill with blood. The boy was so cute it made her unable to think straight as she bent to gather up the mattresses and sheets.

 

"I insist," the boy bent down, reaching for a sheet and brushing his hand against Allura's in the process. That was it. Allura was certain she was going to die and it would all be the fault of this very hot boy.

 

"I've never seen you before. You're new, aren't you?" The boy said as he rested his palm against his cheek and gave a charming smile that made Allura blush even more as she looked for a hole to crawl into. "I'm Lotor."

 

"I-I'm Arthur," Allura finally managed to spit out. Lotor was too close and too attractive to be legal. "I should probably get going,"

 

"I should help you carry this back. What dorm are you in?"

 

"Um," Allura had to think hard for a second to recall the name of her dorm. Her mind seemed to be uncooperative. "I'm in the galaxy dorms."

 

Lotor's expression instantly changed. He stood up, brushing imaginary specks off his sleeves as his voice took a cold turn."You should have mentioned you're one of those people before I actually tried associating with you."

 

Allura frowned, not believing what she was hearing. "Are you serious? You're being rude because I'm a scholarship student? We're both students here. We have something in common."

 

"My father is one of the wealthiest benefactors of this school. How could someone like me and someone like you have anything in common?"

 

It was a struggle to keep her mouth shut. She wanted nothing but to reveal to the asshole that her family was both wealthy and noble but she couldn't, not until she was done with what she came to do. Instead, she ignored Lotor and got to work picking up the beddings on the floor and merely clenching her fists when Lotor kicked the second mattress away before stepping over it as he strutted down the hall with an arrogant countenance.

 

Before Allura could reach it herself, someone else picked it up. It was Keith.He held the futon slung over his shoulder as he glanced at Allura for a fleeting second and silently walked down the hallway. Allura clasped the other bedspreads to her chest and chased after him.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> everyone feels pretty ooc but it's for a reason dammit lol. They'll all eventually grow ..... eventually .... even Lotor.... maybe,
> 
> dont forget kudos and comments.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic hit over 30 kudos and I'm so happy

 

It wasn't until evening hit that Allura realized the room didn't have an ensuite bathroom.

 

She groaned. She couldn't change inside the room. Even though Pidge and Hunk appeared to be asleep, they could sit up at anytime. And while Keith was staring at his phone and didn't seem to be paying attention to her, she doubted he wouldn't notice her binder if she took off her shirt to change into her pyjamas .

 

So she grabbed her pajamas from her suitcase and slipped out of the room to find the communal bathroom. There was somehow no one in the bathroom so she was able to get into a stall and quickly pull off her clothes to change into her pajamas. She emerged from the toilet stall feeling significantly more comfortable now that she was in her pajamas. She had taken off her binder too, to let her boobs rest but with her small bust size and how baggy her pajamas shirt was, she guessed it would be enough to hide her chest.

 

She walked out the stall and nearly collided with Lance a second later.

 

"Woah," Lance exclaimed, stepping back to avoid a close collision. He raised an eyebrow. "Watch where you're going."

 

"I'm sorry," Allura exclaimed, her voice higher than she would like. Even though she was certain her shirt was baggy enough to give the impression of a flat chest, she couldn't help but fold her arms in front of her chest protectively.

 

Lance stared at her and this time, Allura deliberately avoided looking away. She might have hated confrontation but she could already tell that being passive wouldn't get her anywhere in this place.

 

"What are you staring at?" she asked, looking up to meet Lance's gaze. He was only a little bit taller than her, she noticed.

 

"Your eyebrows. Do you pluck them?"

"Huh?" Allura instinctively glanced at her eyebrows in the mirror behind Lance. She had to admit they were too nice to pass for unaltered male eyebrows. She hated herself for not realizing sooner. "Um, yeah, I guess."

 

"Isn't plucking your eyebrows a chick thing?"

 

"No. Who told you that?" Allura frowned. "Why is taking care of your body considered feminine? Not that there's anything wrong with being feminine."

 

Lance shrugged as he looked away from Allura, walking up to a urinal. "Whatever you say."

 

Allura's eyes went wide as he unzipped his jeans. No no no no. She stood, her feet suddenly felt like they were glued to the ground. She had seen the urinals when she walked in but they didn't register. She didn't think about how using a male bathroom and locker room and generally being around teenage boys would mean a lot of nudity.

 

Lance pulled out his penis and that was enough to send Allura's mind into overdrive and get her feet working again. She let out a small squeak as she turned around and exercised the only skill she had learned so far, making a quick escape from awkward situations.

 

This school was definitely bad for her heart, she decided as she ran down the empty hallways, heading straight for the direction of her room. Most of the guys were in their rooms by now, getting ready for bed and she only passed one person on the way back to the room.

 

She opened and closed the door with a slam loud enough to make Keith look up from his phone with a face that could only be described as annoyed. It would’ve had more of an effect if he wasn’t so cute. She shook her head, slapping at her cheeks lightly. No, she wasn't going to think her roommate was cute. At least not like boy cute. But cute like a baby kitten.

 

The room was too small and messy for her futon to fit anywhere but next to Keith’s. She kept silent as she crawled on the small mattress, pulling the blanket over her body and curling up so that it covered her toes. Next to her, Keith turned over to face the wall, moving further to put as much distance between them as he could. Allura did the same. She pulled out her teddy bear that she had brought from Altea. She had received the bear from her father when she was a baby. Throughout her childhood, her parents often teased her for her dedication to the bear. She would take it everywhere with her, from school to royal functions. It wasn’t until she reached elementary school that she was able to leave it at home when she went out. After the accident, she found herself unable to go to bed without the presence of the bear. Even with its presence, she still had nightmares and night terrors often.

 

“Good night,” she muttered softly to her bear, pressing her lips against its ear and burying her nose in the soft, grey fur.

 

Just as she was about to fall asleep, she heard a soft voice, quiet enough that she could have easily imagined it, whisper ‘goodbye’ back.

 

* * *

 

Through her closed eyelids, Allura could still detect the bright light flooding the room. She groaned, sleepy and nowhere ready to get up, and turned over to bury her face in her thin pillow. She pulled her covers over her head in an attempt to block out the loud voices around her.

 

The next moment Allura jolted into full alertness as she felt to a heavy pressure crushing her ribs.

 

She opened her eyes, turning her head and glancing up to see Hunk’s form on top of her. Due to the bright lights still on, she could see the sheepish look on his face all too well. He whispered a quick sorry and hastily stood up, keeping careful to prevent stepping on her body. Allura sat up, groaning. She glanced towards the light switch to see Keith standing there, his arms folded. He was already dressed in a grey t-shirt and pants.

 

“Everyone get up. We have work to do.”

 

Allura stared at the clock in the corner of the room and groaned again when she was finally able to process the time. “It’s four am.”

 

“The obstacle course starts at six. It’s in our best interest to get warmed up now and work on our strategy.”

 

"Thanks for reminding me why we were glad when you left," Lance joked as he stepped down from his bunk bed. He rubbed at his eyes sleepily, running a hand through his messy hair and Allura blushed as her mind flew back to the previous day. She wouldn't be able to look him in the eye for a while.

 

"Ugh," said Pidge, rolling out from his bunk.

 

"Get dressed. We're meeting outside in ten minutes."

 

The other boys grumbled but started getting dressed in the room. Allura quickly grabbed her bag and made her way out the door and down the hallway, into the bathroom stall where she proceeded to change into the workout clothes Coran had bought for her. She glanced at the mirror when she finally got out of the stall and splashed some water on her face. She was unbelievably tired, probably from the mixture of waking up so early and jet lag, but she could tell she had a long day ahead of her and she couldn't afford to not give it her all.

 

She finally got outside, barely making Keith's ten-minute deadline, to join the others. Even though they were in the middle of the desert, it was still too chilly to be dressed in just basketball shorts and T-shirt so early in the morning. She wore a grimace as she started to stretch with the others, going through the stretches rather gracefully thanks to her ballet history.

 

It was when they finally moved to jogging that the trouble started.By her second lap, Keith had already passed her twice with Lance at his heels and Pidge and Hunk not too far behind.

 

"You need to move faster," Keith grunted, momentarily slowing down to match her pace as he reached her for the 3rd time.

 

"I-I'm sorry."

 

Despite trying her hardest, Allura couldn't hide the quiver in her voice. Her chest felt like it was going a mile a minute and she was sweaty and gross and hungry. The idea of collapsing on the side of a dirty track had never been so tempting before.

 

To her surprise, Keith suddenly paused in the middle of the track and gently grabbed her wrist. She jerked back, stopping as Keith let go of her hand like it was burning hot.

 

"If you're in pain you should sit out so you don't take up track space." Keith folded his arms and stared in the opposite direction.

 

"I'm fine," Allura lied through her teeth. "I can continue running easily."

 

“Fine, if you-.”

 

"Can I take a break too?" The voice that came out of nowhere and interrupted the moment belonged to none other than a sour-looking Lance. "I'm ready to pass out."

 

"Me too!" Hunk huffed as he finally caught up with the group.

 

"No breaks for anyone. Continue running."

 

Allura huffed, clutching at the ends of her shirt as she bent over to catch her breath. Then she let go and started jogging again, not wanting to hold her team back.

 

By the time they were done with the jog, Allura couldn’t feel her legs anymore. She wasn’t in pain yet but she could tell she would be waking up to severe pain the next morning.

 

She let herself fall to the ground two seconds after she reached the rest of the group.

 

“You really aren’t used to this, are you?” Hunk asked, frowning.

 

Allura just nodded in response, unable to catch her breath enough to speak.

 

“I’m going to have to give you extra training.”

 

“Ooooh,” Lance’s tone was teasing as he looked from Keith and Allura. “Keith is giving extra training to the new guy.”

 

“My name is Arthur, not new boy.”

 

“Sorry,” Lance’s expression was sulky as he stared past Allura. He muttered something under his breath that Allura couldn’t quite catch but it didn’t sound very friendly.

 

There was an awkward pause for a second before Keith moved to speak to Pidge, saying. “Do you have any plans for how we can clear the obstacle course quickly?”

 

“I have a few.” Pidge grinned. He glanced at Allura and his face fell suddenly. "But I have to change it if we're putting him in."

 

“He just arrived yesterday. I’m they'd let him sit out this course at our request." Keith pointed out.

 

"I don't want to sit out," Allura cut in, adding. "I know I'm new but I'm a part of this team too. I want to help us win."

 

"Are you certain?" Keith finally made eye contact with her. "You got out of breath during the jog. You'll be doing a lot of sprinting if you choose to do the course."

 

"I said I'm doing it."

 

"Fine,” said Pidge, rolling his eyes. “I guess the rest of us can just work extra hard to make up for your lack of ability."

 

"Pidge-" Hunk started.

 

“I’m just saying what the rest of us are thinking,”

 

"I don't know what your problem with me is but you're acting like a child and it's not cute or endearing."

 

"Why don't you-"

 

"Okay, this ends right now."

 

All noise stopped and looked to Keith as he spoke.

 

"We're a team. No matter our personal differences we're all going to put them aside to work together to win. Okay?”

 

"Okay," Allura replied, her voice sullen. She wanted to complain that Pidge was the problem, not her, but she knew it wouldn't be taken well.

 

"Pidge, that goes for you too."

 

"Why are you taking his side?" Pidge complained.

 

"I'm taking the side of our team. Now do you have a plan or not?"

 

Pidge hesitated before sighing and picking up a branch from the ground and drawing figures in the sand with it. "I do. We should be able to pull it off as long as everyone does their part.”

 

The team gathered together as Pidge started to explain.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay guys, ~ I’m trying to set goals to keep myself on track~ ill force myself to update the same day once this fic reaches 60 kudos even if i have to stay up late


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow i can’t believe the kudos have nearly doubled since my last update xD you guys are awesome. i have 3 tests tomorrow and an essay but i had to write it

 

The Garrison was terrifying.

 

Allura wasn't sure if it was this military school in particular or maybe all military schools were like this, but she couldn't help feeling nervous as the other students trickled outside and filed into orderly rows. She followed the other members of her team as they lined up close to the front of the crowd, facing towards the school gates as the trainers walked out. Hunk nudged gently at Allura, miming a salute and Allura slowly understood and moved to copy his gesture, earning a reassuring smile from Hunk.

 

Iverson walked down the line of students, examining them. He barely glanced over Allura before he moved on, stopping in front of Keith, who was standing in between Lance and Pidge. Allura watched out of the corner of her eye, too scared to turn her head, as Iverson turned to face Keith with a nasty sneer on his face.

 

"Cadet." Iverson growled as he took a step closer to Keith.

 

"Yes?" Keith's tone was solemn.

 

"Yes, _sir_ ," snapped Iverson. "This is a prestigious school, not a slum. Even people like you are expected to practice manners here."

 

Keith clenched his fist and for a second Allura was worried he'd act out and hit Iverson but then he went against her expectations and kept silent, staring up at Iverson with intense grey eyes. 

 

Iverson grimaced, obviously annoyed that Keith didn't take his bait, and with one last angry glare he continued walking down and sizing up the students. Allura spotted Lance whisper something to Keith but it was too quiet for her ears to catch. All she could observe was Keith's body posture becoming more relaxed.

 

Once Iverson was done with his inspections, he headed back to the front of the lines, clearing his throat before he started to speak.

 

"Today you'll be going through the timed obstacle course, team by team. The team with the fastest time gets a hundred points towards their end of the year total.Remember that at the end of the year, the team with the most points wins the Belmont-Schuester grant." Iverson took a pause as his eyes brushed over Keith. "Kogane's team, you can start us off."

 

"Let's go." The resolve in Keith's voice was clear as he stepped forward and started walking to the start of the obstacle course. Allura’s heart pounded as she hurried after him. She was already starting to regret her insistence on taking part in the obstacle course and how being looked down on by the others had frustrated her into this. She wasn’t a sporty or active person; the most exercise she did back in Altea was her sunday morning tennis matches against her parents and Coran.

 

The brief memory of her parents and home instantly reminded her why she was here, why she was doing all of this. She cupped her fists and took a deep breath, steeling herself. Even if she wasn’t physically fit, her determination would be enough to get her to the end of the course. She ran over Pidge’s words in her head. _Keep a steady place, don’t increase your speed at the obstacles, watch your grip._

 

“As always, the team’s time is that of the last to finish,” Iverson announced, and Allura pretended not to see the covert glances the rest of her team threw in her direction.”3, 2-“

 

“Good luck,” Hunk whispered and Allura let herself smile slightly in response, not wanting to risk speaking.

 

“1.”

 

Allura had known the others would be fast but she hadn’t anticipated how fast. She watched in awe and slight humiliation as the others raced ahead of her at Iverson’s final count. She puffed, unknowingly holding her breath in her struggle to run as fast as she humanly could. She got to the first obstacle, the ropes, by the time everyone else had already gotten much past it. She shook her head as she tried to redirect her thoughts to her present situation: climbing the ropes. Shesped up the steps and grabbed at the horizontal robes, swinging her body and wrapping her legs around them. She had gotten some practice during their morning training but it was nowhere enough to make her actually good at them. At least she had the advantage of familiarity. She made her way down the ropes as fast as she could, not allowing herself look down and be frightened. The only thing she could hear as she finally reached the end was the fast thump of her own heart as her feet thankfully reached the wooden platform and she slid down the ramp.

 

Her mind flashed back to Pidge’s advice of taking it steady as she ran but she elected to ignore it. She couldn't afford to slow down now and have everyone be disappointed in her. She continued moving as fast she could, wading through muddy grounds with only a wince until she finally reached the wooden wall. Lance was perched at the top, waiting for her. He grinned when he finally noticed her and leaned down, stretching his hand out. Allura reached out and grabbed his hands as she struggled to walk up the wall. To her dismay, her hands slipped from his grasp and she fell to the ground, landing in the wet mud. She sat up without as much as a groan. She could barely notice the pain with all the adrenaline surging her body. She ran at the wall once more, this time stepping off of it and grabbing at Lance’s hand, allowing him to pull her up to the top. Lance took off the instant she was on firm ground as she hurried after him, lowering her frame and jumping down without much consideration.

 

She spotted the others going through the third and last obstacle. Keith was at the front and she could only look on with wide eyes as he jumped over hurdle after hurdle with speed and a sleek grace that would put a cat to shame. Pidge was some distance away from him and Hunk not too far after her. Allura moved through the tires as fast as she could, until she reached the barriers which she struggled to jump over, and resorted to grabbing unto them and lifting herself over. Once she finished over the last barrier, she took a deep breath and sprinted, faster than she had ever attempted to run before. She was barely aware when she finally crossed the finish line and stopped suddenly, feeling battered and out of breath.

 

“Nice job,” Keith words were accompanied by the hint of a smile.

 

Allura was too exhausted to respond to the gesture.

 

“Thank y-“

 

Before she could finish the words, the exhaustion hit her like a ton of bricks and she felt dizzy as her head spun just before her knees gave away and her world went black.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok,,, so i wrote this chapter (and another) a while ago. voltron s6 ruined me.
> 
> This chapter was supposed to have angst but I decided to save it for the future to hurt u guys more

"Father!"

 

Allura yelled as she ran through the dark hallways, stretching her arm out. She could see her father's back to her as he walked onward, heading towards an unknown light.

 

No matter how fast she ran, she couldn't keep up with him. Slowly he started to disappear from view until there was nothing left.

 

Allura woke up with tears running down her cheeks.

 

She blinked slowly, feeling weak and confused as she lifted her head to take in her surroundings. She was lying on a fairly comfortable bed, in an unfamiliar white room. She slowly attempted to sit up.

 

"You should sit back down. You took a bad fall."

 

She quickly turned her head to see Lance sitting on an armchair at the back of the room. He had his arms folded as he stared back at her. Allura winced as she looked back down at herself and finally noticed she wasn't wearing the academy uniform that she had put on for the obstacle course. Instead, she was dressed in what resembled a hospital gown.

 

"Don't worry, I'm the one that changed you and I did it with my eyes close," Lance said as if reading her mind. His cheeks were tinged with pink as he spoke, avoiding looking her in the eye. "The nurse insisted I do it to stop you from getting dirt on the bed."

 

"Thank you, I guess?" Allura replied, not knowing what else to say. She glanced at Lance from the corner of her eye, taking in his appearance.

 

"Don't thank me yet. You have a lot to explain, Arthur. If that even is your real name."

 

"Explain what?"

 

"You're a girl, aren't you? What are you going here?" Lance looked at Allura

 

"Have you told anyone else? About me, I mean."

 

"Not yet," Lance sighed, running his hands through his dark hair. "I wanted to hear your reason for all of this first."

 

Allura eyes widened as she went over a strategy in her head. Even if Lance knew her gender that didn't mean she had to tell him the truth about anything else. How could she trust him, someone she had just met, with her secret. She cursed her own carelessness for letting her secret get revealed so quickly. How could she hope to avenge her parents if she couldn't even do this right?

 

"Hey, no please don't start crying. I hate it when girls cry," Lance said, sounding alarmed. The words only served to make Allura start crying even harder. He stood up to get the box of tissues on the other side of the room and brought it to her bedside. 

 

"Please don't tell anyone," Allura managed to say in between sobs as she accepted the tissues.

 

"I won't, I promise," Lance replied. He put his arm awkwardly around her shoulder in some attempt of comfort and despite everything, she couldn't help leaning into the contact. There was something about him that reminded him of her father to some extent. "Sorry. You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to." 

 

Allura didn't respond to the words. Lance moved in closer to her and she let him, burying her head in his neck as she finally stopped resisting and let herself cry it out.

 

A few seconds later she heard the door open and lifted her head to see Keith standing at the door, wide-eyed as he looked from Allura to Lance. She was left confused as Lance stood up with and moved away from her with lightning speed.

 

"Sorry for interrupting," Keith finally said before he turned around and shut the door.

 

"Interrupting?" Allura repeated, glancing at Lance for an answer.

 

"Uh, this is an all-boys school," Lance was blushing all the way to his ears as he spoke, looking everywhere but at Allura. "It's not that uncommon for guys here to do stuff. With each other."

 

The gears finally turned in her head and she blushed just as hard as Lance.

 

"It doesn't matter. I know Keith. He wouldn't tell anyone else," Lance said, sounding assured. He looked down at his watch and sighed. "I should leave."

 

With that Lance stood up, making his way towards the door.

 

"Wait!" Allura called out. She forced herself to her feet, hurrying after Lance and grasped at his hand. Lance looked concerned and she spoke quickly before he could say a word. "Don't leave yet. I'll tell you why I'm here."

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"Yes," replied Allura. "I just need your promise that you won't tell anyone."

 

"I promise."

 

Allura took a deep breath, mulling over her words. She finally looked up, her eyes meeting with Lance's bright blue ones. Despite just meeting him, she somehow knew that she could trust him. Besides, it wouldn't hurt her to have an ally in this place. "You were right before. My name isn't Arthur. It's Allura."

 

"Allura? It's pretty," Lance paused,realizing his words after they had already slipped out. "I mean your name is pretty, not you. Not that you're ugly or anything. You're pretty too, if you want to be, I-"

 

"Have you heard of the country of Altea?" Allura said, cutting Lance's stream of words.

 

"I've heard that name before," Lance frowned. "It's the Island near Madagascar right?"

 

"That's right. My father was the king of Altea. He and my mother passed away some time ago."

 

Lance's mouth fell open. "If your dad was the king, doesn't that make you-?"

 

"A princess, right," Allura finished Lance's sentence.

 

"What's a princess doing in a place like this?"

 

"Lance, you can't tell anyone at all what I'm about to tell you." Allura narrowed her eyes.

 

"I already promised I wouldn't."

 

Allura sighed. She turned around, taking a step further as she faced the wall. She couldn't cope with looking at Lance.

 

"I have good reason to believe my father was murdered and this place was my only lead to finding the killer," Allura felt her voice cracking as she spoke. She shook her head, she wasn't going to start crying again. Not now. "That's why I'm here."

 

"Do you know anything specific? Like a name or something?" Lance sounded more solemn than Allura had expected from him.

 

"No," she shook her head, quickly adding. "But that doesn't matter. I'm going to find the person responsible for this."

 

"I'll help," Lance walked up to Allura, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to meet his gaze. "You shouldn't have to do this alone. Especially since you're a girl."

 

"Especially since what?" Allura turned sharply, glaring up at Lance who seemed to realize his mistake quickly.

 

"Shit no, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant-"

 

"Save it," Allura snapped. She turned her back to Lance. "This has nothing to do with you. Just keep your mouth shut and stay out of it."

 

Lance kept silent as time ticked on until he finally spoke.

 

"I'm sorry, I'll leave now."

 

Allura made the mistake of turning back to look at him as catching sight of the sad look on Lance's face made her feel worse than she cared to admit. She turned away as fast as she could, listening as he closed the door. She walked back to the bed, falling into it and screaming into the pillow in frustration.

 

"Are you okay, dear?"

 

Allura froze at the words, looking up from the pillow. Standing at the door was a plump woman in a lab coat. She had a friendly, maternal face and an understanding smile.

 

"Yes, I'm fine," said Allura as she sat up.

 

"That's good to hear," the woman stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. "You'll have to thank that sweet friend of yours for that. I'm Anna by the way."

 

"Friend? What friend?" Allura repeated, furrowing her eyebrows.

 

"Why, the one that just walked out of the room. " the nurse stared at Allura with a friendly but slightly judgemental expression. "Bless that boy's heart. He carried you here from the field and helped get you into bed too. He even offered to stay here with you while I got your lunch. I'm guessing you two are close friends?"

 

Allura looked down at her feet as she took in the nurse's words. All her life she was used to people being nice to her because she was the princess but she had never had an actual friend. She hadn't been allowed to ever hang out with other kids without her bodyguards present and most of the kids that did reach out to her did it in attempt to further their parents status. Lance had done all of that without knowing who her identity and she had paid him back by getting angry.

 

"I'm sorry, I have to leave," Allura sharply got on her feet and headed for the door, moving quickly but mindful not to exert herself this time.

 

"Shouldn't you change first?" The nurse asked but it was too late, Allura was already walking out the door. Pushing aside her discomfort, she headed back to straight towards her room, ignoring the curious stares she attracted from boys in the hallway.

 

She found Lance in the room when she finally arrived, in conversation with Pidge and Hunk. The three of them stared as she walked in.

 

"Lance, can I speak to you in private please?" Allura asked, feeling embarrassed.

 

She was prepared for him to reject her but instead, Lance stood up, saying, "Sure."

 

They walked together in silence until they finally reached an empty spot in the hallway. Before Lance could eat anything, Allura turned to him, her eyes large and pleading as she said, "I just wanted to say for getting mad at you earlier."

 

"It's completely fine," Lance gave her a smile which would fool most people but she was too good at reading other people to fall for it. "It was my fault for choosing my words wrong. I meant to say that you having to hide your gender must be difficult. I didn't mean you're weaker because you're a girl or anything."

 

"I see," Allura glanced done, feeling stupid. "I really am sorry for overreacting.You helped me and I didn't even say thank you."

 

"That's what friends are for," Lance said, casually, and Allura's breath hitched.

 

"We're ... friends?" She asked in disbelief.

 

"I think the two of us working together to track down your father's murderer puts us a tad bit above acquaintances," Lance joked and despite everything, Allura found herself smiling with him.

 

"I suppose it does." Surprising herself, she wrapped her arms around his middle, resting her head against his chest as she hugged him. Lance froze for a second but then his body slowly relaxed as he hugged back, his arms going around her as they embraced. She finally let go, stepping back with a smile on her face.

 

"I guess you'll be a suitable Watson to my Sherlock," Lance blurted out, his cheeks pink.

 

"Excuse you, I'm the Sherlock here," Allura grinned.

 

The two of them laughed as they walked down the hallway, too caught up in their conversation to notice the shadowy figure watching them from the corner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love these two so much hELP. Don't forget to leave kudos & comments~


	7. Chapter 7

"We need to talk," was all Keith said.

He had his arms folded as he stared from Allura to Lance, who had been playing a game of cards with her, as both of them sat cross-legged on Allura's small futon. "Come outside with me."

"Okay," Allura said, casting a worried glance at Lance who gave her a reassuring smile. She instinctively smiled back. Despite all of Lance's shortcomings, he had the knack of making people feel better instantly. She paled once again after looking back at Keith and noticing he now looked even more pissed.

Allura folded her cards and placed them flat on the bed, giving Lance a look that clearly warned he shouldn't try to peek at them before she stood up and followed after Keith who briskly walked out of the room and out of the dorm. He didn't stop or relent on his quick pace until they got the botanical gardens a good distance from the building.

It was extremely pretty in there but Allura could barely afford to pay attention to the beauty of the area, not when she had been forced to come here by the angry team captain.

"What were thinking during the course?"

Allura's face fell instantly. "I just wanted to help."

"Help?" Keith looked and sounded more annoyed than she had seen him be up till now. "You know Iverson failed us because of you? And he counted it as a disciplinary infraction for me as I'm supposed to be the leader."

"I'm sorry, I just-"

"You just what?" Keith snapped. He paused for a second, looking Allura in the eye but she was too upset to try speaking again. "Do you know what you did? You fucked everything up. Pidge was right. You don't fit in."

"You're being such an asshole," Allura yelled back, her lips quivering. She felt her anger simmer inside her and burst out before she could stop it. "What do you mean I don't fit in? Iverson was right. What gives you the right to say such things to me? Shiro told me the only reason you're allowed here is because he begged for you. You're just a violent street rat."

She felt awful as soon as the words came out but the look on Keith's face somehow managed to make her feel even worse. He clenched his fist and without another word, he walked past her, stopping only to say. "You know what? I was actually hoping you'd be a good person. Stupid of me right?"

Keith shook his head, giving a hollow laugh before he continued walking. Allura slumped to the floor. She wrapped her arms around her knees, burying her face in them. Despite her stubborn attitude and her temper, she was raised to be calm and diplomatic. She wasn't the type of girl to lose control of her temper and she didn't know how Keith had provoked such a strong response within her. She shook those thoughts away. Keith had been harsh with her but her words were cruel and unnecessary and it wasn't his fault. She would have to make it up to him somehow.

"Got into a fight with your boyfriend?"

The words took Allura by surprise. She looked up to see Lotor, standing by a rose bush. Between the dark of the night and the glow of the lamp, with his light blond hair, he looked like some sort of unrealistically beautiful fantasy creature.

"What do you want?" Allura frowned as her eyes met with his.

"I just happened to overhear your conversation," Lotor said, giving her a knowing smirk that made her skin crawl. "I approve of what you said about the guttersnipe. Maybe I judged you too fast after all. We might actually have something in common."

Allura felt sick. "No, we don't. I didn't mean any of what I said."

"Sure sounded like you did," Lotor shrugged. "That doesn't matter. I have an offer for you. Like I told you before, my father is an important person in this school. Maybe we can help each other."

Allura was about to tell Lotor just where he could stuff it when she processed his words about his important father. Maybe he could be the key to getting information on her parents.

"What do you mean by help each other?" She asked, grudgingly.

Lotor smirked again, this one seemed even more devious than before. "It's simple. You're in the same team as Kogane. You have to opportunity to be closer to him in ways I can't. It's my personal goal to see him out of this academy as soon as possible. You can help me with that."

"I'm not doing that," Allura replied instantly, standing to her feet. No matter how annoying Keith was, she wasn't willing to assist in a scheme to get him kicked out. "I'm not that kind of person."

"You won't help?" Lotor raised his eyebrows in what looked to be mock surprise as he sighed. "Oh well. I guess I'll just have to go public with your identity."

Allura's blood ran cold. "What do you mean by my identity?"

"Don't act dumb with me Allura," Lotor grinned wolfishly. "You really should have sensitive conversations in more private places. You never know who might wander in."

"Please don't tell anyone," Allura whispered.

"I won't. As long as you help me, I'll help you back." smiled Lotor.

"What exactly do you want from me?"

"Don't worry yet. I don't need your services at the moment. I'll approach you again when the time is right. Until then."

Lotor walked towards her, giving her a squeeze on the shoulder just before he lifted her hand and placed a delicate kiss on it.

* * *

  
Keith couldn't understand why he felt so angry and disappointed.

Of course, the new kid was like the others: judgemental. All of them were the same. It was his fault for being stupid enough to have hoped he would be any different. Even among the other scholarship students, the consensus was that Keith was the dark horse. A rough orphan who had grown up in the system and never had an actual home. People either pitied him or feared him. Sometimes both. And then there was Shiro.

Shiro was the only person on earth Keith cared about. He was kind; he had been watching over Keith since they were in the orphanage together. He had gotten the opportunity to go to the academy because of his brilliant mind and good work ethic and he had made sure to bring Keith along once Keith was old enough. Keith didn't know why he kept fucking everything up and being a disappointment to Shiro.

Keith sighed as he glanced up at the starless sky. He didn't want to go back to the room. He hated this place, hated these people. He didn't belong here and he never would. He was tempted to just make a break for it. Run away without looking back. He could hijack a school car to make his getaway and no one would be the wiser until it was too late. Only the fear of disappointing Shiro kept him there.

Keith nearly yelled in frustration as he let himself fall on the hard ground, folding his arms behind his head. Just the thought of Shiro was enough to make him blush. He was almost certain at this point he had a serious crush on the older man but there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. Shiro would never see him as anything but a younger brother and Keith would always be too scared of messing up their relationship to even try. He was so caught up in his thoughts he barely noticed when the person walking towards him till they had already sat down beside him.

"Hey," the voice belonged Pidge. He stared at Keith with large brown eyes as he fiddled with his glasses.

Keith gave a nod of acknowledgment in response.

"You okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Iverson was pretty harsh on you," Pidge said as he finally looked away from Keith. "I'm sorry."

"For what? You didn't do anything."

Pidge shook his head. "I kept egging on Arthur. It was my fault he overexerted himself."

The mention of the other boy is enough to make Keith feel angry and miserable again. His words had been echoing in Keith's head. Somehow hearing it from him had felt worse than Iverson's constant ramble.

"It wasn't your fault. He decided to push himself past his limits and got hurt. You didn't do anything."

"Keith?" Pidge's voice sounded tiny. It reminded Keith how the boy was younger than the rest of them, despite his maturity. "I just wanted to say I'm really happy you're my captain. In spite of everything that happened, I'm glad you came back."

"Thanks, Pidge," the smile on Keith's face was genuine and Pidge smiled back as he leaned back himself, staring up at the sky. The two of them just lay there in silence, appreciating each other's presence but not having a need to talk.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> knowing the vld fandom I feel like I have to clarify neither Keith nor Allura are bad people. None of the characters are (except maybe Lotor? Who knows?) they aren't Angels, they'll hurt each other but pls remember that doesn't make them bad people 
> 
> Now that's over I'm just super glad I get to write bonding scenes between the Paladins. thanks for 100 kudos kids <3 i started working on another kallura/allurance fic bc im a dumb hoe who loves them so keep your eyes out lol


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> who's excited for s7???? i definitely am!

Allura absent-mindedly poked at her eggs with a fork. After the events of the previous night, she wasn't hungry and gladly so because all the food that was offered was cold: from the overlooked eggs to the soggy french toast.

 

"Are you not hungry?" Lance's worried voice snapped Allura out of her dream-like daze.

 

"I guess it's the nerves for my first day of class." She did her best to meet his eyes with a smile.

 

"You still need to eat," Hunk cut in, sounding scandalized. "How will you make it through the day if you get hungry later?"

 

"I'm really fine," Allura shook her head, gently pushing her plate away from her. She was definitely going to throw up if she even attempted to eat that. She missed her personal chef back at home.

 

Both Hunk and Lance gave her disbelieving looks but thankfully dropped the subject.

 

She was already starting to get used to life here despite the setbacks that couldn't be avoided. Hunk and Lance were both nice people; Lance was already shaping up to be the closest to a best friend she had ever had. In a way, she was glad he had figured out her secret. It meant she could turn to him for help with things she couldn’t trust anyone else with.

 

She hadn’t gotten much one-on-one interaction with Hunk but from the little they had had, he clearly wasn’t a bad person. He had a sense of humor and a caring demeanor. He was the type of friend anyone would be glad to have.

 

On the other hand, there was Pidge and Keith. It was clear neither of them liked her and it didn't look like that would change anytime soon. She had grown used to the occasional nasty looks from Pidge while Keith just flat out ignored her presence. She supposed it was the best she could ask from him after she had been so rude to him. Allura bit at her lip. Her attempts to apologize to Keith had been met with dismissal. She couldn’t blame him but it hurt more than she cared to admit.

 

"We should get going," said Pidge. He stood up, glancing up at the room’s clock. “It’ll be bad if we're late for the first period.”

 

"What's first period?" Allura asked. She lowered her voice to a whisper and turned to Lance.

 

"No clue," Lance replied through a mouthful of food. "I just follow everyone else."

 

"It's international politics with Blaytz," Hunk answered, raising an eyebrow.

 

"Ah really? " Lance grinned, sounding pleased. He turned to face Allura, leaning up closer to her. "You're in luck. Blaytz is the coolest dude ever."

 

"He's like an older Lance. Make of that what you will." Hunk explained.

 

The name sounded somewhat familiar but Allura couldn't quite place it. Shaking it off, she chuckled as Lance opened his mouth to complain.

 

Keith suddenly stood up, picking up his tray and walking towards the drop off section. Allura watched as Pidge and Hunk also stood up, waiting while Lance hastily shoveled bacon into his mouth then trailing after him once he got up. She knew it was being overly dependent but she didn't want to be separated from Lance. He was the only one that made her feel at ease.

 

"Are you ready for your first class?" Lance asked, slinging a casual arm over Allura's shoulder. She froze for a second then smiled back at him, not noticing the slight blush to dust Lance's cheeks as she did so.

 

"I'm actually excited."

 

"Nice." Hunk reached out for a fist bump which Allura was only too glad to give.

 

They soon fell into a comfortable silence as they continued to walk through the full hallways. Hunk got to the classroom door first and held it open for the rest to pass through.

 

The classroom was brighter than she expected. Painted a deep blue, the walls were filled with historical paintings and pictures, some of which she could place and many she couldn't, but all of them were interesting. Sitting with his legs propped up on the desk was a man with sandy blond hair and a friendly grin. Allura furrowed her eyebrows as she stared at him. There was something familiar about his face but she couldn't recall what.

 

"Yo Blaytz," Lance exclaimed, dropping his arm from Allura's shoulders and walking up to the teacher.

 

"Lance!" Blaytz stood up and grabbed him in a light headlock, ruffling his hair. His eyes caught Allura staring. "Who's this?"

 

"Our new teammate Arthur. He's cool." 

 

"It's nice to meet you," nodded Allura.

 

"No need to be so formal with me. I know I'm a teacher but I aim to be a friend too."

 

She smiled in response to his kind tone. "Thank you."

 

"Now go grab your seats and get ready for a great class." Blaytz winked at the two of them before he switched off the lights the room, projecting a map on the whiteboard.

 

Allura slowly made her way to the back of the class, nabbing the free seat next to Lance. Unfortunately, Keith was seated at her other side. Allura sent a pointed glance in Lance's direction and got an awkward shrug in response.

 

"Does anyone remember the country I talked about a few months ago?" Blaytz asked, moving his gaze from the map to the class. "Yes, Lotor?"

 

That was when Allura noticed Lotor's presence in the classroom. Allura's eyes met with his for a moment and she was able to catch his smirk. She turned away as Lotor said. "Wasn't it Altea?"

 

"Nice job. I expected nothing less from Zarkon's son," Blaytz's tone was less than impressed despite the too-wide smile on his face. "I have an update on the political situation there. Apparently, the young princess is ill."

 

"Apparently? Didn't you claim to be old friends with the former king?"

 

Allura froze, processing the words and staring at Blaytz as he sighed and rubbed at his neck. She couldn't believe it but at the same time, it made sense to explain why he had felt familiar.

 

"We were best friends during our days here but we drifted apart after graduation. It happens to all of us." Blaytz shrugged. "I was still present for his wedding and coronation but we lost touch soon after the birth of the princess. Enough on that though; let's start the lesson."

 

Blaytz switched from the map to the next slide but Allura could barely take in any words he said. Her mind was abuzz with thoughts. If what he was saying was true then he was her only major lead to finding out what happened her parents. But he could just as easily be a liar, or even worse, involved with their deaths. She had no clue if she could trust him enough to reveal her identity.

 

A gentle pressure on her hand is what got her to look up and meet Lance's bright blue eyes. He had her hand cupped in his and gave it a comforting squeeze. Allura slowly smiled back, happily remembering that she at least had one ally here as well as Coran back home.

 

Allura's eyes widened as she remembered Coran. If there was anyone who would know how trustworthy Blaytz was, it would be Coran. All she had to do was talk to him before attempting to contact Blaytz over his relationship with her father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have no excuse for this bad chapter taking so long >.< the chapter ive been wanting to write since forever is coming up and im just gonna be excited about that. dont forget to leave kudos/ comments and tell me what you're most excited for in season 7. for me its earth! and romelle!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i promised myself id update before s7 came out no matter what so here we are. thanks for 120 kudos!

The first thing Allura did once class was over was to slip away from the group and into one of the empty stables near the dorms so she could make her phone call without worry of someone overhearing her. The other students had training right after class was over but she had been excused for 3 days to recover from her fainting spell. She had been commanded to spend the time with the nurse, learning about how to push herself without crossing her limits but she knew the nurse wouldn't be too strict on her for being late.

  


"Hi Coran," Allura said, pressing her phone against her ear.

  


"Allura? Are you okay?" Coran's voice was slightly muffled but Allura couldn't help but smile at hearing her guardian's voice after what felt like forever. "Do you need me to get you?"

  


"What? No!" Allura couldn't reply fast enough. "But I need your help with something else."

  


"What do you need?"

  


"Do you know a man named Blaytz?"

  


"Blaytz? Of course, I do. What about him?"

  


"What can you tell me about him?"

  


"He and your father were the best of friends during their high school days. He was at your father's wedding, coronation and your christening." Coran answered. "but why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

  


"He's teaching here," said Allura, to a gasp from Coran. "I need to know if I can trust him with my identity."

  


"I don't think your father had spoken to Blaytz in years by the time he passed away. But he's definitely someone you can trust. The Blaytz I knew could never betray Alfor."

  


"Thanks, Coran," Allura felt herself smiling into the phone. "I'll go talk to him now."

  


"Call me back when you do. I also want to speak to him."

  


"I will! Thanksbyelove you," Allura rattled on before she hung up the call.

  


Placing her phone back into her pocket, she started to run. She spotted Lance waving at her as he filed into the field with the other boys and she couldn't resist taking the time to wave back before she entered the main building. To her luck, she found Blaytz at the entrance door, carrying a cardboard box that appeared to be full of books.

  


“D’you mind holding the door?” asked Blaytz, flashing a 1000 watt smile.

  


“Of course,'' Allura instantly stepped aside, holding the door open for him. The realization of what she was supposed to be doing hit a second later. “Um, Mr. Blaytz, do you have time to speak with me?”

  


“We can speak now if you speak quickly,” replied Blaytz.

  


“I think it’d be best if we spoke in a more private location.” the minute the words were out of her mouth, she cringed at the realization of how suspicious they sounded and she could see Blaytz raising an eyebrow. “I mean- I don’t really know how to explain this.”

  


“Right. I kind of had something I need to do so you can email me through my official school email if you need to contact me over school-related issues.”

  


“I need your help.’ Allura blurted out, seeing that she had no other choice but to reveal the truth to him now. She stepped close, ignoring the questioning glance from him as she did so, and lowered her voice to a whisper before saying. “You were friends with my father. I need your help figuring out what happened to him.”

  


“I know your father?”

  


“His best friend Coran told me you know him.”

  


Blaytz’s eyes widened. He looked her over and dropped the box to the ground as he stretched out a hand. “Allura?”

  


“Please don’t reveal my name openly,”Allura whispered, turning her head and searching the area to make sure there was no way for anyone to have overheard his words.

  


“I can’t believe this,” Blaytz’s eyes were shiny as he wrapped his arms around Allura and pulled her into a big bear hug. “You’re okay!’’

  


‘Well, physically.” Allura replied, awkwardly. She hadn't expected to receive a hug from him but she found she didn't really mind it.

  


“And you’re so big now,” Blaytz continued, stepping back and giving her an admiring glance. “Last time I saw you, you were naught but a tiny babe about this tall. Now, apart from the hair, you’ve grown into such an admirable-looking young woman-“

  


Blaytz paused as he said the words, thinking it over before speaking hesitantly. “You are a girl, right? I mean, I remember clearly Alfor said you were a girl. But this is an all-boys school.”

  


“I’ll explain everything once we’re in a safe place to talk.” 

  


“Of course. Let’s go to my home. My husband is a great cook. We’ll treat you to an early dinner.”

  


Allura froze for a second before hurriedly spitting out, “I could never impose on you like that.” 

  


“You’re just like your old man,” Blaytz laughed, slapping an arm on Allura’s shoulder. The light-hearted action wasn’t enough to hide the wistful edge to his voice. “It’s absolutely no bother. You probably miss altean food, right? Senoi makes altean food well enough to rival the traditional stuff."

  


"Well," Allura hesitated. She had barely eaten all day and the thought of homemade altean food was a powerful motivator. "I guess if it's not a bother."

  


"Never," Blaytz promised, his smile bright as he did so. "We'd be honored to host you."

  


“In that case, I guess it’s okay.”

  


“Excellent,” grinned Blaytz as he bent down to pick up the cardboard box he had let down. He beckoned to Allura as he started to walk, and Allura obedientlytrailed after him.

  


She took the chance to observe the scenery around her as they walked off campus on the path to Blaytz's house. The landscape and vegetation was extremely different from what she was used to. She missed the tropical plants and vegetation of altea. The desert-like terrain here appeared to be dead in comparison to the booming ecosystems of Altea.

  


"We're here," Blaytz suddenly announced.

  


Allura looked up and followed his line of sight and spotted the tiny but cute cottage in the midst of the grasslands.

  


Blaytz unlocked the door, holding it open for Allura to walk through. Upon entering, she was greeted the sight of the well-decorated living room. Most of the furniture seemed to be antiqued and it the walls were adorned with framed pictures of Blaytz with another smiling man.

  


"I know it's small but it's home," Blaytz scratched the top of his head, grinning.

  


"I really like it," Allura said, truthfully. "I love the way you decorated."

  


"That's all my husband. He's really into interior design." Blaytz's voice held a hint ofpride. "Can I interest you in anything? Tea? Biscuits?"

  


"No thank you. I was hoping we could talk about what I mentioned before." Allura said, awkwardly.

  


"Oh right." Blaytz's tone soured. He started walking again and without so much as a pause, said. "Come with me to my study. We can talk there."

  


Allura followed him into a cramped office. Blaytz pulled out a chair and placed it in front of the deal, gesturing for Allura to sit, which she awkwardly did, before he himself took a seat at the desk's chair.

  


"Like I was saying before. I need your help. Do you know anything about what happened to my parents?"

  


Blaytz let out a sigh as his eyes met Allura's. "You need to go home."

  


"Excuse me?"

  


"All I want to do is keep you safe and you aren't safe here. You need to go back."

  


"That impossible!" Allura yelled, hopping to her feet and slamming her hands down on her desk in anger. "I need to do this and gourd going to help me."

  


"Allura-" Blaytz started.

  


"Don't," Allura snapped, cutting him off. "You don't get to act like you care.You claimed to be my dad's friend but you weren't even at his funeral."

  


The look on Blaytz's face would have made her feel bad at any other time but she couldn't afford to, not now. If the only way to get information out off Blaytz was to guilt it out, she was willing to. She refused to let anything or anyone get in the way of her justice.

  


"You mentioned Coran earlier. Can I talk to him?" He finally said.

  


Allura frowned but pulled out her phone and dialed Coran's number before handing the phone over to Blaytz.

  


"Hi Coran," Blaytz said into the phone. Allura sat back down, watching as Blaytz leaned against the chair and frowned at whatever Coran was telling him on the phone. Finally, he sighed and handed the phone to Allura with a, "He wants to speak to you."

  


"Yes?" Allura pressed the phone against her ear and spoke.

  


"Allura, I spoke to Blaytz and rest assured he's going to be helping you."

  


"Really?"

  


"Yep. He was resistant at first but he does want to help you. And that's why I'm going to need you to do something for me."

  


"Do what?"

  


"Listen to him. He's an adult and I feel better if there's someone like him looking out for you."

  


"Okay," Allura sighed, glancing up. "Thanks Coran. I'll talk to you later."

  


"Bye Allura."

  


Allura hung up the phone and looked back to Blaytz who appeared to be deep in thought. Finally, he sighed and stood up. "I don't want to talk here. We can talk while I prepare for dinner. I'll tell you everything I know about your father."

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hate this chapter but im kind of proud of myself as it was an absolute pain to write but still did it. pls comment lol


End file.
